Supporting preservation efforts and local artists through on-site art-making, community conversations, and exhibitions.

Welcome to Painting for Preservation!

Welcome to Painting for Preservation! This initiative, founded by artist Sara M. Zak, is aimed at drawing attention to distressed, at-risk, and under-utilized historic locations through on site art making.

Mission: To bring together artists of all media in support of historic distressed properties and communities. To create artwork on-site related to the location as a means of raising positive awareness of the space. My hope is that we can continue this effort in Buffalo and expand the concept to other architecturally rich cities. Please e-mail Sara M. Zak if you are interested in starting a Painting for Preservation initiative in your city at info@paintingforpreservation.org

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

I recently received an e-mail from Liz Almlie, an historic preservation specialist with South Dakota State Historical Society. She and her organization were inspired by Painting for Preservation and their local plein air painters to host The Art of Place. The event was structured with a workshop day to kickoff the event in May 2013 and then, a month later, an exhibit booth at their local “Oahe Days” summer festival (Oahe is the name of the Missouri River dam close by).

The workshops included a photo walk in our historic downtown, a cemetery tour, a field sketching session, and a presentation on the Historic Preservation Commission’s new QR code project.

The Art of Place was a partnership between the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office and the statewide non-profit, Preserve South Dakota. Local groups including the Pierre/Fort Pierre Historic Preservation Commission, the Canvasbacks Art Club, the Central SD Photography Club, and the Short Grass Arts Council participated with programs, volunteers, artists, and materials. It was a pilot project, and they did not have any major advocacy needs locally, so they let artists choose any local historic place and any media that we could accommodate. Paintings, drawings, photographs, and even a ceramic piece depicted historic houses, commercial buildings, churches, bridges, memorials, a walk-up ice cream place, and the SD State Capitol.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Please join us Saturday, September, 14th 9:30am - 1pm for on-site art-making at the corner of Delaware and Chippewa. Artists of all media welcome. The location offers multiple views of great street scenes. The proposed Uniland development of the Delaware Court building will alter the streetscape greatly. There is a parking garage, driveway, and loading dock on Chippewa in the proposal (along with the many stories upward). Here is an article from Buffalo Rising about the development.

The Delaware Court Building meets several of the criteria for listing as a City of Buffalo Landmark,as enumerated in the Buffalo Code:• It is on a conspicuous site and sensitive site, has character, interest, and value as part of the developmentand heritage of Delaware Avenue and Buffalo. (Criterium 1)• It is architecturally and historically significant as an example of the early 20th century Neo- Classicalretail and office building; probably the best and largest of its kind in the city. (3)• It embodies in its encyclopedic use of terra cotta Classical ornamentation the distinguishing characteristicsof an architectural style which makes it valuable for the study of commercial architectureof the Edwardian era. (5)• It is designed by an architectural firm whose members influenced the development of the city for80 years and whose work encompassed over 100 buildings. (6)• Its unique location and form make it a familiar visual feature within the city. (9)

Thursday, September 5, 2013

The art-in at Silo City during the BALLE conference welcomed many artists new to the P4P experience and brought exposure to the concept to many people from outside the area. My camera died relatively early on, but here are the images I was able to capture!

George Gilham "Silo City." This piece create at the art-in won the people's choice award at the Buffalo Society of Artists sponsored exhibit, City of Night Silos!